1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to martial arts training weapons and implements generally, and more particularly to weapons and implements for use during martial arts demonstrations, and more particularly still to a more aesthetically appealing acrylic martial arts demonstration staff or bong including features such as an illumination means, a sound emitting means, and strategically positioned custom engravings and markings which do not reduce the structural integrity of the staff.
2. Preliminary Discussion
Traditional martial arts are practiced today not only for self-defense, fighting and/or combat training, as well as for teaching mental discipline and self-confidence, but also in general as a sport or recreational activity and to promote physical fitness. There are, of course, numerous different martial arts disciplines, each of which has a slightly difference focus or concentration. For example, judo concentrates on throwing techniques, while taekwondo concentrates on kicking techniques, and karate concentrates more on defensive and striking techniques, although each discipline utilizes all of such techniques as well as weaponry to at least some extent.
A weapon commonly used for both offensive and defensive purposes is the bo staff. According to “The Dictionary of Martial Arts” by Emil Farkas & John Corcoran, BoJutSu (boh-jut'su) Jap. “art of the staff”, is an armed system of combat based on the use of a long wooden staff called a bo. It is thought by many that the bo staff originated from the tenbin, a pole that is laid across and balanced on the shoulders and used to carry supplies such as buckets containing water or grain hanging from the ends of the pole, and it is further believed that such poles were first used as weapons in China. The staff is usually made of a hard wood, often red or white oak, or ash, that will not break easily when used in combat, and typically has a length of between five to six feet, or preferably a few inches taller than its user, and a diameter of approximately one inch. Such weapon is well balanced, as the center of the staff serves as the weapon's fulcrum, and is typically employed with a two-handed gripping action. Use of the staff was learned in most schools of martial arts in feudal Japan and it is still used in many types or styles of martial arts today, with techniques practiced including striking, thrusting, blocking, parrying, deflecting, sweeping, and holding. By quickly changing one's grip, the length of the staff can be easily varied for use in either long-range or close-quarter combat, and when used properly can in effect serve as an extension of one's own limbs.
As indicated above, by necessity the staff is made of a very sturdy material such as a hard wood that will not break when used to strike or block a blow. However, in teaching and practice, as well as in martial arts demonstrations, which demonstrations are essentially events wherein the skills one has developed while studying a martial arts discipline are displayed to an audience in a skillful and entertaining manner, martial arts weapons are usually made of lighter materials or have padded striking surfaces to prevent or reduce the likelihood of an injury occurring. A typical prior art demonstration bo staff, for example, is made of a hollow metal such as aluminum or an ultra light wood having a chrome finish, which finish is flashier and therefore more noticeable and aesthetically attractive or eye catching than a typical wood finished staff when twirled or moved quickly through the air, particularly where bright spotlights or the like are also directed at the user. The lighter weight also makes the staff easier to handle and maneuver, particularly when used by children and young adults. There remains a need, however, for martial arts demonstration weapons that not only better highlight the user's skills but also increase the enjoyment of the spectators and provide an overall more aesthetically pleasing demonstration or performance. The present inventor, recognizing such need, has thus developed an improved acrylic demonstration staff that, it is believed, is significantly more aesthetically pleasing, and in addition serves as a personalized memento and indicator of the level of martial arts accomplishment of its user.
3. Description of Related Art
There are numerous prior art martial arts weapons, practice and demonstration devices known in the prior art. In addition, a large number of weapon-type implements designed for use by law enforcement personnel are known, some of which include features such as light or sound emitting sources. The most relevant-appearing of such references are discussed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,066,540 issued to G. A. Smithwick on Jul. 8, 1913, entitled “Combined Club ad Flash Light”, discloses a policeman's club having a flashlight built into the handle end of the club. A cavity in the handle for holding the battery and light is covered by a lens, which lens is threadably secured to the end of the handle, while an on/off switch is provided on the side surface of the handle in a usual manner. U.S. Pat. No. 1,130,355 issued to E. L. & E. B. Von Eschen on Mar. 2, 1915 entitled “Policeman's Billy”, discloses another policeman's club wherein a light means is positioned in the striking end, rather than the handle end, of the club. A wrist strap is also provided, as is a core for holding batteries and an on-off switch. Such references illustrate typical prior art arrangements for securing a light source in the end of a rod member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,023 issued to J. J. Cutler on Jan. 24, 1978, entitled “Nunchaku”, discloses a martial arts nunchaku weapon made from two hollow elongated aluminum members connected by a nylon rope. The faces of the elongated members are perforated along substantially their entire lengths, which perforations create a whistling sound when the members are twirled through the air. The perforations also improve the user's grip on the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,774 issued to S. M. Holy on Jul. 28, 1987, entitled “Collapsible, Re-Combinative Martial-Arts Weapon”, discloses a martial arts weapon having numerous detachable parts that can be re-combined into a number of different weapons, including an escrima stick, bo, jo, tonfa, pugil stick, nunchaku, sectioned staff, hanbo, shikibo, and mace and chain. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when used as a staff, a main center piece and two end pieces are threadably coupled together. No aesthetically pleasing features are disclosed, however.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,667 issued to J. R. Lezdey et al. on Aug. 6, 1996, entitled “Martial Arts Training Device”, discloses a pole member having a striking cushion and wrap on one end and a hand grip that can slide along the pole member. In one embodiment, the pole is hollow and a sounding device is provided therein so that when a strike is made, a horn will sound. While the Lezdey training device can be made of various substances, including “polyvinyl chloride”, and may be between 3-6 feet long, a clear acrylic demonstration staff or bong is not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,190 issued to F. A. Mackewich, Jr. et al. on Aug. 20, 1996, entitled “Lighted Nunchakus”, discloses a martial arts ninchaku comprised of a pair of hollow plastic handles having light sources disposed in such handles and a lens on the ends of the handles. Multiple light sources may also be situated through the handles so that the entire handle lights up, while in other embodiments a colored insert may be placed in the handles to alter the light effect, the light may be reflected off of spinning balls or mirror surfaces placed in the handles, the light may be either battery or chemically activated, or the handle members may be covered with a safety foam rubber material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,998 issued to K. L. Parsons on May 20, 1997, entitled “Mock Training Baton and Method of Training Law Enforcement Personnel Using Same”, discloses both straight and side handle mock or training batons made from a flexible plastic rod having a cushioning material thereover. Use in combination with a light or sound emitting means is not disclosed, however.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,292 issued to K. Liu on Oct. 3, 2000, entitled “Rice Flail Assembly”, discloses another martial arts ninchaku-type device, also called a rice flail, comprised of a pair of transparent rods mounted on sleeves joined together at one end by a chain, and having mounted in each sleeve a battery-powered light which can be turned on to flash or light continuously.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,921 issued to R. L. Larson on Mar. 6, 2001 entitled “Interchangeable Martial Arts Weapons System”, discloses another combination weapon system comprised of a plurality of parts that can be joined together in different ways to form different martial arts weapons, such as a Bo or Jo staff, Nunchaku, three-sectional staff, Tonfa, and Escrima. Lighting effects are also provided in the form of hollow illuminative tubes that can hold either a laser light element or a glow stick.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,537 issued to J. J. Clowser on Oct. 9, 2001, entitled “Laser Pointing Nunchaku Assembly”, discloses a martial arts nunchaku having laser lights secured in and aimed outwardly from the ends of the handles. Such lights enhance the visual effect of the handles being twirled quickly through the air. A locking member is also provided to maintain the laser light in the handle but which is removable.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,652 issued to A. Schweizer et al. on Jun. 4, 2002, entitled “Flexible Nunchaku and Its Use”, discloses a martial arts nunchaku that it is flexible and thus reduces the likelihood of physical injury occurring during use of the device. The handles are comprised of a pair of soft flexible PVC hoses joined on one end by a flexible cord, with a foam cover or jacket provided over the handles. Schweizer therefore teaches a practice nunchaku martial arts device, which although it could also be used for demonstration purposes is not aesthetically pleasing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,656 issued to A. Heglund, JR. entitled “Jousting Apparatus”, discloses a jousting device comprised of a pair of long handle components joined together by a rope or cord, such that when handles are held by different participants, such participants can engage in a jousting activity.
U.S. Pat. Appln. Pub. No. 2002/0155894 filed by M. A. Evenson and published on Oct. 24, 2002, entitled “Baton System”, discloses another policeman's baton having a handle portion and a striking portion, both preferably made of nylon. The overall length of the baton can range between 1-4 feet, and grooves and ridges are provided on the handle portion to create a better frictional grip of the device in the user's hands. In addition, a weight is movably positioned in an orifice in the outer end of the striking portion of the device, which weight is designed to increase the “sweet spot” of the baton upon an impact with an object.
U.S. Pat. Appln. Pub. No. 2004/0127292 filed by L. Chan et al. and published on Jul. 1, 2004, entitled “Sparring Weapon”, discloses a martial arts device having a handle section and an elongated blade section, which blade section is covered by an impact absorbent padding. A movable weight is also provided in an orifice in the blade section which helps adjust the balance of the device as it is swung.
U.S. Pat. Appln. Pub. No. 2005/0113218 filed by S. A. Sewitch, JR., and published on May 26, 2005, entitled “Multipurpose Martial Arts Training Device”, discloses a martial arts device comprised of two separate tubular components that can be used either together or separately to form different martial arts weapons. Such tubular components may be made of a plastic polymer, and include a serrated gripping means. The Sewitch training device does not exhibit the unique characteristics and features of the present inventor's demonstration staff, however.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 320,428 issued to J. W. Rust on Oct. 1, 1991, entitled “Martial Arts Bar”, discloses an ornamental design for a staff having a pair of handles extending outwardly at a right angle from the longitudinal axis of such staff. The handles extend outwardly from the handle at slightly different angles. In addition, U.S. Design Pat. No. 428,636 issued to L. J. Weaver on July 25, 2000, entitled “Karate Staff”, discloses an ornamental design for a karate staff having oar-like members situated on the ends of the staff.
While the prior art devices discussed above are useful for their own particular indicated purposes, none exhibits the unique combination of features and advantages of the present inventor's demonstration staff or bong. The present inventor has made several improvements to a demonstration staff that are not shown in or anticipated by the prior art. One such improvement is the provision of a clear acrylic staff having a highly polished outer surface in combination with at least one light source or light emitting means connected to the staff in a manner so that when the light is activated, it appears that lights are situated along the entire length of the staff, rather than just on one or both ends. Such arrangement provides a unique and more attractive appearance than prior art staff arrangements without having an effect on the structural integrity of the staff. A second improvement is the provision of a unique indicator means for displaying the martial arts rank or level of accomplishment of the owner of the staff. Such indicator means is preferably exhibited in the form of one or more strategically located rings etched into the outer surface of the staff, which rings are then provided with a clearly visible color or other marking scheme that is indicative of the ranking system for the particular martial arts discipline. Importantly, it has been found through experimentation that such rings must be confined to certain areas along the length of the staff, or otherwise the structural integrity of the staff could be comprised, causing the staff to crack or break even when used only under demonstration type conditions. Other features such as a sound emitting means, serrated gripping areas, and other custom markings that further personalize the staff device may also be provided to further increase its desirability. The resulting staff, it is believed, is significantly more aesthetically appealing than prior known demonstration staffs when used in a demonstration activity or show.